It's Just Circumstance
by PolkaDotSocks93
Summary: AU: After her husband, Shane Walsh dies, Beth Greene and her son move into an apartment to try and heal from her heartbreak. An unlikely friendship forms when she meets her new neighbor, Daryl Dixon, and saves the life of his brother. Will Beth be able to move on and recover from her loss? Will Daryl open up to his new friend? Will the unlikely pair find love?
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, everyone!**

 **This will be a shorter story, maybe 10 chapters. Thank you all for your support as always. Please read and review!**

 **-Mandy**

* * *

Life has a funny way of mucking up all the best laid plans and all the best intentions.

Over the course of her life, Beth Greene had made many plans. When she was six, she decided she wanted to be a singer. When she was ten, she wanted to be a championship barrel racer. When she was twelve, she wanted to sing with Dolly Parton at the Grand Ole Opry.

When she was fifteen, all she wanted to do was get out of Pine Mountain, Georgia. She wanted to get away from the farm, away from the small town, and live an exciting, adventure filled life. When she was sixteen, and her parents gave her an old pickup truck, she felt like she had the world at her feet. She felt happy. She felt alive.

When she was eighteen, she wanted Jimmy McIntyre. She wanted to be his forever, but that wasn't in the cards, either. He loved someone else; someone who was prettier, and smarter, and more womanly, it seemed. Beth wanted Jimmy, but Jimmy didn't want her. That hurt, but Beth got through it.

Beth Greene had wanted a lot of things in life. Life, it seemed, had a funny way of changing things—sometimes for the better, sometimes not. Either way, Beth was no stranger to change. She was no stranger to things changing and moving and being beyond her control. And for the most part, she didn't mind it. Change was inevitable; it just hurt sometimes.

When she was nineteen, she fell in love, head over heels for an older sheriff's deputy named Shane Walsh. They met when she'd been watching her friend's children, Carl and Judith. He'd shown up, not knowing Rick and his wife, Lori, were out on a date. He'd come to fix the water heater, and then upon discovering Rick wasn't home, he'd said, "well, I guess that's why Rick wasn't answerin' his phone. Mind if I come in?" When Rick and Lori returned later that evening, Beth and Shane were sitting at the kitchen table, eating pizza with Carl, laughing and joking and talking.

The next three weeks, Beth and Shane saw a lot of each other. He'd stop by the farm after work, bringing her flowers and candy. She told him it didn't matter to her—that she liked him for him. Soon, they were spending all their time together. He went to church with her every Sunday, and had dinners with her family. She had tea parties with his nieces, and baked cookies with his Grandma Jean. Things went quickly, and Beth was head over heels for Shane Walsh and the two seemed like a couple of star crossed lovers, and it terrified and excited and thrilled Beth all at the same time.

Five months after they started dating, Shane asked Beth to marry him. They'd gone to Savannah for Beth's birthday with Maggie and Glenn, and it was there on the River Walk in front of everyone that Shane pulled out a small red velvet box with a pretty antique diamond ring and Shane asked Elizabeth Nora Greene to be his wife for the rest of his life. And Beth screamed and cried and said yes a dozen times as Shane slipped the ring on her finger and Maggie and Glenn clapped and cheered. Beth was terrified and thrilled and happy. So, infinitely happy. Shane was her whole world, and she was his.

They married three months later, in a small wedding in the church she grew up in. They only had sixty people in attendance. Maggie was her maid of honor, Rick was the best man. Beth had never felt more beautiful in her simple lace gown and her bouquet of bright, happy flowers.

They settled into married life well. They'd moved into Shane's small house in town in Pine Mountain, close to Rick and Lori. Beth continued going to college, studying nursing. They had dinner together every evening. Beth had been told that the first year of marriage was the hardest, but coming home to Shane was the best part of her day. They did nearly everything together; from walking their two dogs, to cooking, to laundry. Beth never told anyone that her favorite thing about Shane was the way he kissed her goodbye every morning before he went to work. She never told anyone about how he braided her hair better than she did. He, however, gushed to everyone he knew about how Beth knitted him scarves, and played the piano, and baked the best cookies in town. The two didn't fight.

On Beth's twentieth birthday, Shane bought her an upright piano. He'd paid extra to have it tuned, and Beth cried tears of joy when she came home to find it in the living room with a big red bow on top. Shane was loud and boisterous, and sometimes he was cocky, but he was gentle and kind, and he was the kind of husband Beth had only dreamed of.

Three days after Beth turned twenty-one, Beth told Shane she was twelve weeks pregnant. He cried—actually cried—and asked a million questions. Beth had been nervous, afraid he wouldn't be as thrilled, but it was the opposite. Throughout her pregnancy, he was reading and educating himself and learning all he could about the new life growing inside of his wife. They took pictures of Beth every week, documenting her progress. When they'd found out she was having a boy, Shane cheered and clapped. He carried sonogram pictures around in his wallet. Beth graduated nursing school when she was seven months pregnant, and it seemed that life was falling into place. Beth passed her nursing boards but wanted to wait until their son was born to look for jobs.

At 38 weeks pregnant, Beth gave birth to a seven pound, six ounce, dark haired boy that she and Shane named Caleb Atticus. They couldn't decide on a name; Shane wanted to name him after his father, Caleb, and Beth had wanted to name him Atticus because of her favorite book. They'd decided to combine the two, and their beautiful darling baby boy soon made their little family more complete than they'd ever thought possible.

Things continued to get better. They settled into a comfortable routine; Beth working night shift two days a week at the local hospital, Shane working days. They spent all of their time with their precious Caleb, who looked more like Shane every day. Beth loved the changes in her life; she loved the happiness that her husband and her child brought her. She wanted to spend the rest of her life in the blissful haze of her family, with her husband and her child by her side for every aspect of her life.

Unfortunately, that haze would only last six more months.

It was Caleb's first birthday. They'd had his party, with surrounding family and friends, at their home, and decided they would make his first birthday weekend special. They spent that Saturday in Atlanta at the zoo, with Rick, Lori, the kids, Glenn, and Maggie tagging along. They returned late in the evening, and put Caleb to bed. Beth and Shane went to bed that night, content and happy.

That was the last night that they would spend together.

They'd gone with Rick and Lori to eat that Sunday evening. Everything was fine, they were all having a great time.

Until the fight broke out.

There were two men arguing—loudly—and then three more jumped in. Rick and Shane—both off duty deputies—jumped in, trying to mediate. It happened so quickly, no one realized just what had transpired.

One man pulled a knife. Beth saw the glint and ran close, only to be grabbed by Lori and another patron while she screamed. She saw the man plunge the blade into Shane's abdomen three times, and then into his back once. More police arrived, broke up the fight. By then, Beth was at Shane's side, trying in vain to keep him from bleeding to death.

"I love you, Bethy." He muttered, wincing in pain as she cradled his head.

"I love you, my sweet boy." Beth whispered, "You're gonna be fine."

"I'm not." Shane replied, "Tell Caleb I love him. Tell him I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Bethy. I'm so, so sorry."

"We'll get you to the hospital. We'll fix you. Shane, stay with me!" Beth screamed.

He held on for three hours, but he'd lost too much blood. They couldn't save him.

Beth sat in the waiting room, nearly comatose, covered in Shane's blood, as the doctor explained there was nothing they could do. Beth screamed, falling to her knees and breaking down, as Maggie and Lori and her mother, Annette, held her and tried in vain to console her. Rick was the only one who understood even in the slightest what she felt, since the two had been friends since childhood. Beth couldn't breathe; her entire world had come to a screeching halt. Her husband was dead. Her son had no father. She was alone.

The funeral and the weeks following were a blur. She'd gone through the motions. People were nice, helpful even, but nothing eased the pain of losing her soul mate. She was broken. She was alone. She was desperate. She didn't eat; sleeping was too painful. She'd left Caleb in the temporary care of her parents, trying to collect herself because she was in no condition to parent. And, because Caleb looked so much like Shane that she felt like she lost him every time she looked at her son.

Two months after Shane's death, Beth, in a haze, took a razor to her wrist. She then realized she couldn't go through with it. Shane wouldn't want her to do it. She called 911, and put a rag tightly around her wrist. She hadn't cut deep enough to kill herself, but she had cut deep enough to lose a significant amount of blood.

After that, she decided to try—try and heal. She sold the house, putting the money into a college fund for Caleb. She moved into an apartment close to the hospital. Maggie came by to keep Caleb when Beth worked the night shift, which she'd increased to three twelve hour shifts a week. She was getting better—slowly—but her heart still ached. She missed Shane every day.

Change, Beth Greene (Walsh) knew that change was inevitable, but lately, change was causing her a tremendous amount of pain. Change hurt. Change cost her everything she held dear.

Seven months after Shane's death, Beth was coming off her shift at the hospital, dragging herself up the stairs to her small two bedroom apartment. Her dogs greeted her first, and Maggie and Glenn were asleep in the guest room, with Caleb in hers. She had just gotten a cup of coffee, exhausted, when there was a knock at the door, and a frantic cry for help. Beth answered the door, and eyed the wild-eyed man standing in front of her.

"You're a nurse, right?" The man asked.

"Yeah. I am." Beth answered.

"You gotta help me—it's my brother." The man said.

"What's the matter?" Beth asked.

"I think he overdosed. He came to my place about thirty minutes ago—I dunno. He's breathin's shallow, he ain't movin'. I need your help." The man explained. The two walked across the hall to apartment 224, where the man's brother was on the couch responsive. Beth checked his vitals. He was alive—but just barely.

"Call 911. I'll do what I can." Beth said. The man began to panic, pacing, muttering, and cussing.

"What's your name?" Beth asked.

"Daryl." He replied.

"What's your brother's name, Daryl?" Beth asked.

"Merle." He replied.

"Alright, Daryl. I need you to stay calm. I'm going to help Merle, but panicking won't help him. Call an ambulance. Call the police, and stay calm. I'm going to do my best." Beth explained, with the confidence of a woman who seemed to have it all together.

"Okay." He whispered.

Beth turned Merle over on his side, checking his vitals and using her kit to treat him. By the time the ambulance arrived, Merle was breathing on his own, and he was stable—all thanks to Beth.

"Let me know how he's doing later, alright? I've gotta go check on my little boy." Beth asked before Daryl left to follow the ambulance.

"I will. Thank you, ma'am. What'd you say your name was?" Daryl asked.

"Beth. My name is Beth." Beth answered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all the awesome reviews! You guys rock! Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **-Mandy**

* * *

Daryl saw her and the baby when the two first moved in.

He wondered where the kid's father was, but it wasn't any of his business. The kid was barely walking—really wobbly and only taking small steps. A brown haired woman came by on the weekends, probably to keep the baby, while the blonde woman worked. The blonde woman, who looked like she could be a teenager, always came home dressed in scrubs. He figured she was a nurse or something. She was nice enough, but he'd never spoken to her.

He'd lived in that complex for two years, and he'd seen plenty of neighbors come and go frequently. The last neighbors were loud and rowdy, the man had gone to jail for beating on his wife and daughter. Daryl had intervened on that one, and made sure Ed Peletier had gotten another assault charge on top of everything. The deputies that had arrested Ed, Rick and his partner, Shane, were old high school friends of Daryl—the ones who had helped him get out of his father's house and away from the mess that was his childhood. Shane had put in a good word for him, even, and Daryl had been working at the auto shop owned by Dale Horvath for nine years now.

He still talked to Rick and Shane, though he was "closer" to Rick. Shane had dropped off the map, getting married and having a kid. Daryl still liked the guy and had a ton of respect for him, but they were at two totally different places in life. Daryl couldn't begrudge him for that.

Daryl liked his life. He didn't have a girlfriend. He didn't have a wife. He had his own apartment, he had a dog. He hung out with his co worker (and friend, he supposed), Aaron quite often. He'd go grab beers with Rick on occasion. He liked routine in his life. He liked going to work, coming home, walking the dog, hunting on the weekends. He liked his freedom.

The only thorn in his side was Merle.

Merle came and went, often drunk or high. If he wasn't in jail, he was usually up to something illegal. Daryl tried his best with Merle, but the man was an adult—he could make his own decisions. Yeah, it bothered him that he spent more time in prison than he did out in the world, but Daryl couldn't make Merle's choices for him.

He'd heard Shane had been killed through the Dale, when he came into work one Monday morning. Apparently, Shane and Rick had gotten in the middle of a bar fight and someone had stabbed him to death. Daryl hated to hear it; Shane was a good man. He knew Rick wouldn't take it very well, but he heard Shane's wife had gone ballistic. He went to Shane's funeral, but it was standing room only. He didn't feel right sitting down in the church anyway; he was too dirty. He didn't belong. Standing on the sidelines observing was where he was supposed to be. He found it sort of surreal, Shane was only thirty—he shouldn't be laying in a casket. He should've been enjoying his life with his wife and kid. He caught a glimpse of Shane's wife, the youngest daughter of Doc Greene, as she said her final goodbye before the funeral started. She was a tiny blonde, not the type of woman he figured Shane would settle down with. He found himself choking back tears during the funeral, remembering all the times Shane stood up for him in their childhood. Shane had told a couple of neighborhood kids once, "It don't matter if he's a Dixon, he's just Daryl to us. Anyone else got somethin' to say, they can say it to me." Daryl regretted not keeping in contact with him in the past three years. Shane was the guy who gave firearms instruction to the community. He led singing at the church they were having his funeral in. He regularly saved people's lives. When Rick was shot four years ago, Shane was the one who saved his life. It shouldn't have been Shane in the casket, Daryl thought. It should've been the thug that put him there.

On his way out, he caught Rick. He hugged the man, at a loss for what to say. How do you comfort someone when they've lost their oldest friend?

"You okay, man?" Daryl asked.

"I'm makin' it." Rick admitted, "Never thought I'd be doin' this."

"Never thought I'd be hangin' out here, either. Just wish I'd stayed in touch, hadn't gone off on my own. You and Shane are the reason I ain't locked up like Merle." Daryl told him.

"You should come by the house sometime." Rick said, "You're not a stranger, brother, not to me."

Daryl nodded, agreeing silently, and walked out, watching Rick and the other pall bearers place Shane's casket in the hearse. Daryl Dixon had seen a lot of bad days—but this was by far one of the worst.

The blonde woman and her baby moved in a few months after Shane's death. Daryl didn't connect the dots at first, until he saw the kid. The little boy—who probably was no older than a year—looked like the spitting image of Shane Walsh. Daryl had thought about going over to send his condolences several times, but decided against it. She looked so sad and lost. Not even the kid could make her smile very much. She worked at night, and he would often see her coming home as he was leaving for work. She looked like she hadn't eaten or slept very much in a long time. Daryl was slightly concerned that she might try to off herself one day and he'd show up to a bunch of police cars, leave the kid an orphan and he'd be a ward of the state or something. He didn't know her name, just that she was Doc Greene's youngest girl who had married a man seven years her senior—same age as him. He learned through observation that her sister's name was Maggie. He knew Maggie's husband Glenn, because Glenn had recently started working at Dale's shop. He hadn't bothered to say much—he never said much to anyone—so he felt kind of bad that he knew this woman's whole family and he didn't even know her.

She was a quiet neighbor, always making sure to close the door quietly in the mornings. Even the kid didn't make much noise, and he didn't cry very much. The woman didn't have very many visitors, and every time he thought about saying hi, she was already closing the door to her apartment. He hadn't even thought to initiate conversation at all.

Until the day Merle overdosed.

He was getting ready for work. It was a typical Friday. Merle had been staying with him for a week, after running off to Birmingham for six months to do God-knows-what with God-knows-who. Merle had been out all night, as per usual, and had come home acting really strange. Normally, Daryl wouldn't have noticed, but Merle was quiet.

In his thirty years of life, Daryl Dixon had never, ever known Merle to be quiet.

He checked his pulse, and it was barely there. His skin was cold and clammy. Daryl could see the needle marks in his arm; Merle had overdosed. Daryl checked the clock; it was seven-thirty. His neighbor should be getting home by now. He ran across the hall, banging on the door, and she answered, still in her scrubs from the night before.

"You're a nurse, right?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I am." She replied, raising an eyebrow.

"You gotta help me—it's my brother." Daryl explained.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"I think he overdosed. He came to my place about thirty minutes ago—I dunno. He's breathin's shallow, he ain't movin'. I need your help." Daryl wanted to explain it better, but he couldn't seem to find the words. His neighbor grabbed a kit that was by the door and followed him, calmly, to his apartment. When they got there, she checked Merle's vital signs, and he was still alive—for now.

"Call 911. I'll do what I can." His neighbor said. Daryl began to shake, the possibility of his brother dying being very, very real. All he could do was pace and cuss.

"What's your name?"The neighbor asked.

"Daryl." He replied.

"What's your brother's name, Daryl?" She asked.

"Merle." He replied.

"Alright, Daryl. I need you to stay calm. I'm going to help Merle, but panicking won't help him. Call an ambulance. Call the police, and stay calm. I'm going to do my best." She explained, no trace of fear or worry in her voice.

"Okay." He whispered. He called the ambulance, and he let her work. By the time the paramedics arrived, Merle was stable. She'd saved his life, and Daryl felt an immense relief roll off his shoulders. As the EMT's loaded Merle into the ambulance, Daryl turned back to the woman, who was watching from the stairwell.

"Let me know how he's doing later, alright? I've gotta go check on my little boy." She said.

"I will, thank you ma'am. What'd you say your name was?" Daryl asked.

"Beth." Beth said, "My name is Beth."

Just like that, the blonde had a name: Beth Walsh. Beth Walsh had saved his brother's life.

Daryl stayed at the hospital until that evening, when he decided he'd let the sedated Merle sleep so he could go home and rest. This wasn't the first time Merle had nearly killed himself, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

He arrived at his apartment that night, tired and hungry and ready to collapse on the couch. Before he did, however, he decided he'd keep his promise to Beth. He knocked on apartment 229, and she answered, with the little boy on her hip.

"Daryl, hey." She said, with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, "How's Merle?"

"You saved his life." Daryl told her, "He's gonna be fine. As fine as Merle can be, but he's gonna have to find a new place to stay. Can't have 'im bringin' drugs into my place."

"That's good to hear, Daryl. I'm glad he's alright." Beth said, "Have you eaten?"

"No ma'am." Daryl answered, "Haven't had time."

"I made a casserole. Would you like to come in? I'm sure it's been a rough day." Beth said, bouncing the baby up to hold him better.

"Thanks. I wouldn't mind." He replied, following her in. Her apartment was neat and tidy, but he felt an immense sadness as soon as he walked in. The girl was living under a cloud, and it almost sucked the life out of him. Daryl noticed the pictures of the kid on the walls, of what he guessed were family members, too. He even saw a picture with Rick, Lori, and the kids.

Then, he saw it. The wedding picture of Shane and Beth, hanging behind the couch.

"That's my husband, Shane." Beth explained. She must have caught him glancing at the picture.

"He...Passed away, eight months ago." She added, a despair in her voice that stung Daryl more than he expected it could.

"I knew him." Daryl said, without thinking.

"What?" Beth asked.

"Shane an' me...We grew up together. Me an' him an' Rick. I guess I just...Drifted away from 'em as I got older. Both of 'em got married an' stuff. That wasn't me." Daryl explained. Beth dropped the plates she was grabbing from the cabinet, blinking and standing there, motionless. She'd set the kid down and he toddled into the living room, yanking over his toy box.

"You—you knew him?" Beth muttered.

"Yeah. I'm—I'm real sorry 'bout what happened. Hadn't spoke since 'fore he got married. Sorry he's gone." Was all Daryl could say.

"So you're Daryl." Beth replied, "The Daryl him and Rick always talked about."

Daryl stared at her; Shane had talked about him? Part of him felt his chest swell. Another part of his chest hurt—especially because Shane was gone now.

"You haven't met him yet, but this is Caleb. He'll be two in July." Beth said. Daryl stared at the little boy in the floor, who had dark, curly hair like Shane, and big, piercing brown eyes.

"Geez, he looks just like Shane." Daryl said. He looked up, and she was crying—sobbing, while trying to sweep the pieces of broken dishes off the floor.

"I'm sorry." She said, "It's still really hard."

She was crying. Daryl felt awful, honestly. He helped her sweep up the dishes, but he didn't stay for dinner. He left without eating, quietly slipping away while Beth changed Caleb's diaper. He felt bad for leaving like that, but he didn't know how to make her smile. He couldn't fix her problems. Her problem was that some stupid punk stabbed Shane in the gut all because Shane was trying to do the right thing. That was Shane, Daryl thought, always doing what was right. He did the right thing, and got killed over it.

From then on, Daryl avoided Beth and Caleb like the plague. He didn't wanna run into her. He didn't want to see her sadness. He was terrified that she'd break down again. He didn't know how to deal with crying women. He didn't know how to console her; especially not after losing her husband.

A week after he'd told Beth he knew Shane, he found himself sitting on the back porch the Grimes house next to Rick. Lori sat in the porch swing, watching nine-year-old Carl and four-year-old Judith play in the backyard.

"Judith Grace, don't hit your brother!" Rick called. Daryl observed the children—the ones he hadn't seen very much of—and felt a pang of guilt.

"How's Merle?" Lori asked.

"Merle's just Merle. Ain't lettin' him stay at my place. Ain't lettin' him bring meth and God knows what else into my apartment." Daryl replied, taking a drink of beer.

"How's Beth?" Rick asked. Daryl had relayed the story of how Beth saved Merle's life, and her meltdown later that evening, to Rick and Lori.

"Ain't spoken to her since last week. Tryin' to avoid her. Feel bad." Daryl said.

"She's...Not been takin' it easy. We've tried keepin' up with her, but she just keeps to herself mostly." Rick said, "Her and Caleb not bein' around hurts almost as bad as Shane bein' gone."

"That night..." Lori said, and Daryl knew exactly which night she was referring to, "Beth tried to run to him. She saw it all happen. She tried so hard to stop the bleeding, but she couldn't. He bled out in front of her. First couple of months after he died, she just couldn't function."

"She left Caleb with Hershel and Annette, or sometimes us. She couldn't take care of him." Rick added.

"Then, she just had too much of it...She almost killed herself a couple of months after Shane passed." Lori said.

"Doesn't surprise me." Daryl said, "Honestly worried she might now."

"She's better than she was." Rick said, taking a long sip of beer, "Lori tries to check in 'bout once a week. We just...How do you ask someone how they're doin' after they watch their spouse die in their arms, ya know?"

Daryl nodded. He understood. That's why he'd been avoiding her.

Weekly dinners at the Grimes house became a thing. Daryl was glad for it, and he enjoyed spending time with Rick, Lori, and the kids. He realized he'd really missed having Rick in his life—even if he would never tell Rick that himself. He still avoided Beth as much as he could, trying desperately to tiptoe around the fact that sometimes he could hear her crying after her shifts in the stairwell, or he'd see her sitting in her car, twirling the wedding rings she still wore. He felt bad, he truly did. But he'd managed to avoid speaking to her.

Until May 23rd. Shane's birthday.

It'd started off so normal. He'd remembered, though, because when they were teenagers, Rick, Daryl, and Shane would usually do something stupid and they'd end the day with a steak dinner at Shane's parents' place. On Shane's fifteenth birthday, Daryl had nearly lost a finger because the three had gotten the bright idea to set off fireworks at the rock quarry. On Shane's sixteenth birthday, Rick wound up getting stitches. On Shane's seventeenth birthday, Lori drove the getaway car while the three painted obscenities on the town water tower. May 23rd was almost a holiday, up until recent years.

Daryl could hear her. He could hear her in the morning as he left for work. He could hear her sobbing when he got home that afternoon, too. Then, the baby started crying, and he hoped that someone would come and relieve the poor woman and give her some help. An hour later, help never came, so Daryl found himself walking across the hall and knocking on Beth's door.

Beth answered, wiping her eyes and swallowing hard. "Daryl."

"Uh, hey." Daryl said.

"Did Merle overdose again?" Beth asked.

"No—nothin' like that." Daryl said, "I just...You eat today?"

"No. I was gonna go get groceries, I just can't today." Beth replied.

"Uh, I was 'bout to head over to Rick's house. You an' Caleb wanna tag along?" Daryl asked.

"I look like a mess, Daryl." Beth said, "I'm not..."

"Trust me." Daryl said, "They won't care. They've been askin' bout you. Come on."

She was quiet for a beat, then she spoke. "Okay."

"Okay?" Daryl repeated. Beth nodded.

They arrived at the Grimes House at 5:30, and Rick and Lori both looked thrilled to see Beth. They hugged her and fawned over Caleb and kissed her cheeks, and not once did they ask her how she was doing. They all had Shane's favorite dinner, steak and baked potatoes, and when they finished, they had chocolate cake—in honor of the man who wasn't there to celebrate his birthday.

"Ya know, last time we did somethin' for his birthday, I wound up with a fishin' hook in my ass." Daryl said.

"What?" Beth asked. Rick nodded, laughing.

"Yep. Shane got the bright idea to take his daddy's fishin' boat out so we could all go fishin'. 'Cept he didn't realize Daryl was right behind him, and the one thing Shane couldn't do was cast a line." Rick explained, "I don't think I ever saw Daryl cuss that much."

"I remember that!" Lori said, "How many stitches was it, Daryl?"

"Five. But it hurt." Daryl said.

Beth was laughing, harder than she had since Shane passed. She was actually smiling, and not just faking it.

"When we first started dating, Shane told me he could ride horses. You know, I grew up on a farm. I learned to ride a horse before I could walk. I let 'im ride my horse, Nelly, and she bucked him right off. He got so mad and worked up, and I put him on the slowest horse we had, and he still freaked out." Beth said.

"Shane was scared of horses." Daryl said, "He was really tryin' to impress you."

"He did that a lot." Beth said, "Every single day."

They left at nine-thirty, Beth carrying a sleeping Caleb in her arms. Beth promised Rick and Lori that she would come by the following week, and apologized for not replying to their seven texts they'd sent her earlier that day. Daryl took her back to her apartment, and she invited him in for coffee once she set Caleb in his crib.

"Thank you for today, Daryl." Beth said, "Thank you for not askin' me how I'm doin'. And for makin' me laugh."

"I don't need to ask how you're doin'. It ain't like you're doing cartwheels in the livin' room." Daryl replied.

"I'm getting better. It's still hard. I thought...I thought I'd be with him for the rest of my life, you know? Now he's gone. But it helps, rememberin' the good times." Beth admitted.

"Does me too." Daryl agreed.

When he left her apartment that night, Daryl felt better than he had in a while. Honestly, when he'd started telling stories about Shane, he hadn't intended to make Beth laugh, he just wanted to remember a time where he had his friend. But it helped her, and Daryl felt good for it.

Maybe, he thought, he wouldn't avoid Beth after all. Maybe, he'd just be her friend, and make her laugh. She didn't need anymore people asking her if she was okay. She just needed someone to be there. Daryl could do that, he supposed. Talking about Shane helped him, too.

So, he decided, that instead of avoiding her, he'd just be there, and not ask her any stupid questions. She didn't need stupid questions. She needed a friend.


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all, THANK YOU! The reviews are incredible and I am so glad you guys like it. Second of all, sorry for the delay. It's been hectic around here, and I've had strep throat. Thank you for your kindness! Please review and enjoy!**

 **-Mandy**

* * *

"How's he doin' today?" Beth asked, taking Caleb from her brother-in-law, Glenn. Caleb seemed to be in a pretty good mood today, though it was only the early morning. Beth had just come off of her twelve hour shift at Baptist Medical Center, and though she was exhausted (because there was a nasty stomach virus going around and everyone in town seemed to have it), she couldn't wait to see her precious little boy.

"He slept through the night, but he's cutting a new tooth. It's a molar this time!" Glenn said.

"Oh, my goodness, my big boy!" Beth said, bouncing Caleb around. He giggled and smiled, wriggling free to run around on the floor.

"Where's Maggie?" Beth asked Glenn. Normally, Maggie and Glenn spent the night at Beth's apartment when she had to work, taking care of Caleb. Beth couldn't thank them enough for that.

"She got a call. Death on the other end of the county." Glenn explained. Maggie, who was four years older, was a death investigator for the coroner's office. She was on call constantly, but most days, she was able to be there with Caleb. Beth was immensely thankful that Maggie and Glenn were so willing to help; she couldn't have done it without them.

"I was wantin' to give her a gift, but it's for you, too." Beth explained, digging into her purse. She pulled out an envelope, and Glenn opened it, and instantly a smile spread over his face.

"An Atlanta Brave versus Detroit Tigers game. Beth! This is great!" Glenn exclaimed, "Thank you."

"It's the least I could do." Beth replied, "You guys are so great to me."

"You know we don't mind helping, Beth." Glenn said, "He's great. We love him."

"I just," Beth sighed, "I feel so bad, Glenn. You shouldn't have to do this."

"Beth, when Maggie and I were in that awful car wreck three years ago, who stayed with us for a week and a half and did everything for both of us?" Glenn asked.

"Me, and Shane." Beth replied.

"And when Maggie got sick with pneumonia and was in the hospital two years ago, who stayed with her for four days straight?" Glenn asked.

Beth sighed. "I did."

"And when I had encephalitis, and I was in intensive care, and nobody thought I would live, who stayed with Maggie, and got our house ready for us, and made the drive all the way to Atlanta so Maggie wouldn't be there alone?" Glenn asked.

"Me." Beth replied.

"Beth, you have dropped everything for us. The least we can do is take care of our nephew for a few hours—while he's sleeping—so you can go to work. You gotta stop thinking you're an inconvenience to everyone." Glenn told her.

Beth couldn't help it, though. Before, it was Shane who was there with Caleb. Shane was giving him his baths, and feeding him in the middle of the night, and making sure he was okay. Beth remembers the first night—right after she started working at Baptist, and Caleb was a month old. Beth had never been away from him before, and she was a nervous wreck. She'd made lists, and charts, and replaced all the batteries in the baby monitors (that didn't really need replacing).

" _Babe, you know I was there when we made him. I was there when he was born, too. Changed his very first diaper." Shane laughed, kissing Beth on the forehead._

" _I've just never been away from him. I don't know what to do. I'm going to miss him so much, Shane!" Beth nearly cried, wiping tears from her eyes._

" _I had to leave 'im when he was a week old, Bethy." Shane told her, "I didn't wanna do it anymore than you do right now."_

" _Just...Promise me you'll update me? That you'll let me know how he does?" Beth asked._

 _Shane wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. "I will, my Bethy girl. I promise."_

Later that night, on her break, Shane FaceTimed Beth, showing her a little Caleb who was awake for his 2:00 am feeding. In that moment, seeing her husband and her precious boy, she'd never loved Shane more.

At first, Hershel and Annette took care of Caleb, but they lived all the way in Box Springs, nearly twenty-five minutes away. Plus, her father, Hershel, only had one leg, and up until recently, walked on crutches. Beth didn't want to burden them. She hated burdening Maggie and Glenn as it was.

Beth only slept for three hours after her shift. The babysitter, Beth's friend, Rosita, came by a few hours each morning to help Beth watch Caleb so that Beth could either clean the apartment, or so she could catch up on sleep after her shift. Rosita's little girl, Bianca, was the same age as Caleb, and she too, needed a little distraction since her husband, Abraham, was deployed. Beth woke up to the sound of silence, and silently panicked, walking briskly down the hall to see the toddlers watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while Rosita was knitting on the couch.

"You're up earlier than expected." Rosita said.

"I didn't hear Caleb." Beth said, "I know, I've lost my mind."

"No, you haven't. You're a mom. It's your job." Rosita told her.

Beth stood at the counter waiting on her Keurig to finish brewing a cup of coffee. Rosita came into the kitchen with her, grabbing a mug for herself. The two women were quiet for a moment, and Beth observed that Rosita looked like she had something she needed to say.

"Did I ever tell you about Abraham's first wife?" Rosita asked. Beth shook her head.

"Her name was Ellen. They got married a week after high school. Couple of eighteen year old kids that were in love. Had a little boy a year after named Alex, when Abraham was a private in the Army, and then they had their little girl Haley two years after that. They'd been married ten years, and they were stationed in Texas. One night, they were coming home from a family dinner, and this drunk ran into them. Killed Ellen on impact, Alex and Haley died within the week. Abraham lost everything he had." Rosita explained.

"How'd he come back from that?" Beth asked, "How'd he manage to move on?"

"He didn't—not for a while. He's forty-three. Bianca will be two in September. He was single for ten years before we got married. Sometimes, it still bothers him. I can tell, but I tell you all that to tell you that you can't keep blaming yourself. I see it, Beth. I see it every day. You're still hurting just as bad as you were when you lost him." Rosita said.

"He was my everything." Beth says, trying to convey the exact feelings of despair, "Now he's gone. I don't think I could ever love someone that much again."

"Maybe not in the same way, but you could definitely love someone again. You need to start healing, Beth. You gotta put it away, or it's gonna kill you." Rosita said, holding Beth's hands tightly as Beth looked away.

Beth couldn't think of what to say to that. She didn't want anyone else. She didn't want to love someone, and marry them, and have children with them, only to have them die in the prime of their lives. She didn't want to go through it again. She didn't think that her heart could bear it.

That night she thought about Rosita's words. She didn't want to move on romantically, but she knew she had to start moving forward in other ways. She couldn't stay in the apartment all the time and loom over her loss. She had to move forward somehow. She couldn't just linger on what she'd lost. Not when she still had Caleb.

So, she put Caleb in his stroller and she began to walk. It was the late afternoon, and Caleb liked to look at all the flowers in the park. Beth walked downtown, letting Caleb look at everything and pointing out things he might find interesting. For an almost-toddler, he was surprisingly observant. He took after his father that way, and that thought made Beth smile.

It was getting to be dinner time, and Beth decided on a whim to stop at the restaurant downtown and get something to eat. She hadn't been out to eat since the night Shane passed; restaurants gave her a feeling of uneasiness that she couldn't even begin to describe. She walked in, folding up Caleb's stroller and leaving it right outside the store, and gave the restaurant owner, T-Dog, a small smile.

"Oh, Beth! It's so great to see you and the little man tonight. Come on, I got a table for you right around here." He said, motioning her to a booth. He gave her a high chair and she sat Caleb down, looking over the menu and feeling oddly lonely. As she looked over the dinner selections, she heard a grunt, and then someone clearing their throat above her. She looked up to see Daryl, who was letting Caleb chew on his hand.

"Hey." Beth said.

"Hey yourself." Daryl said, "Getting somethin' to eat?"

"Uh, yeah. Just kinda...Nervous, I guess." Beth admitted, blushing.

"It ain't nothin'." Daryl said, "The breakfast food's pretty good."

"I haven't been here in so long." Beth said, "You here by yourself?"

"Yeah." Daryl said, "Ain't got food at my place."

"Wanna join me?" Beth asked. Daryl nodded, sitting down in the booth across from her. He didn't need to look at a menu, ordering a Coke from the young waitress who took their order. Beth sipped on her sweet tea, deciding on a burger for herself, and fed Caleb his baby food while they waited.

"This is the first time I've been in a restaurant in nine months." Beth told him.

"Ain't missin' much." Daryl replied, his eyes locked on Caleb as the baby waved at him.

"I used to like going out." Beth said, "I liked goin' to dinner, and to the movies, and all that. I don't enjoy anything anymore."

"I don't do any of that anyway. Don't matter much to me." Daryl replied. The waitress came with their plates, handing them each their food.

Beth watched the man across from her, still in his work uniform from Dale's shop. He'd washed off the grease, and the grime, but Beth could see his calloused hands as he let Caleb drool all over him. Shane had told her about Daryl—the man who worked twelve hours a day because if he didn't sit still, he wasn't happy. Shane had mentioned that Daryl was constantly working on a project, or hunting, and that in a way, if not for Daryl, Shane and Beth wouldn't have met. Shane had told Beth once that Daryl taught him how to fix the water heater and anything else around a house that required maintenance. Rick never bothered to learn, so whenever something broke at their house, Shane or Daryl were over there teaching Rick how to fix it. In a way, Beth thought, it was because of Daryl that Shane and Beth wound up getting married.

Beth liked that idea. As she chewed on her burger, she noticed Daryl was extremely patient. She didn't mind that. He didn't talk much, and she didn't talk much now, either. Beth didn't seem to have much to say anymore.

"What are you doing tomorrow, Daryl?" Beth asked.

"Nothin', 'cept work." Daryl replied.

"I'm goin' to Rick and Lori's tomorrow for dinner. Would you like to tag along?" Beth asked.

"Wouldn't mind that." Daryl said.

"How does 6:30 sound? You could ride with me and Caleb...If you want." Beth offered.

"Lookin' forward to it." Daryl replied, smirking just slightly.

Daryl drove Beth and Caleb home. He didn't have a car seat, but thankfully, the apartment complex was only a few blocks away, and Beth could fit the stroller in the bed of the truck. Caleb, by then, was getting quite fussy, teething and feeling discomfort because of it. He began wriggling and crying, becoming red faced, with fat tears streaming down his face. Beth sighed in exasperation as they got out of the truck in the parking lot of the apartment complex.

"Lemme bring the stroller up for you." Daryl suggested.

Beth gave a weak smile. "Thanks." She replied.

She carried Caleb up to her apartment, unlocking the door and being greeted by the two dogs. Caleb was having a full meltdown by now, kicking and screaming and squealing at the top of his lungs. Beth gave him some Tylenol, but because he was screaming, she didn't get the whole dose in his mouth. She tried giving him a frozen washcloth, but he threw it to the ground, kicking his little feet into Beth's abdomen as he refused to be consoled.

"Caleb, baby, it's okay. Shhh." Beth whispered. Daryl stood in the doorway, seemingly observing the scene. Caleb threw himself backwards in Beth's arms, nearly causing Beth to drop him. She tried bouncing him, and rocking him, and he only got worse. Beth soon felt tears sting her eyes; she was so frustrated. It had been a lovely evening, and he'd been fine earlier. Now, though, he was screaming and fussing and all Beth could do was sit down and rock him in her arms to try in vain to console him.

"You...You want me to take 'im?" Daryl asked, almost too low for her to hear.

"I can't ask that, Daryl...He's screamin'." Beth said. She felt tears roll down her cheeks, too. Over the past few months since Shane's passing, Caleb's meltdowns became more frequent, as if he was missing his father, too.

"I got a friend...She's got a boy just a little older than him. She's a single mom too." Daryl said, "Sometimes, when Michonne's gotta work, I watch Andre. I'm used to screamin'."

Beth reluctantly handed Caleb to Daryl, the little boy screaming as Daryl gripped him. The two stared at one another for a moment, before Caleb reached for a strand of Daryl's longer hair, yanking as strongly as he could. Beth almost said something, but Daryl motioned for her to stay put. Caleb had stopped crying, and was instead focusing on yanking Daryl's hair. The baby began to laugh, making faces as Daryl mumbled under his breath. Soon, the little boy started to yawn, and Daryl bounced him, sitting in the rocking chair with the baby and rocking him.

"He's asleep now." Daryl said.

Beth took the baby in her arms, walking back to place him in his crib. When she returned, she found Daryl petting her German Shepherd, Jake.

"Thank you, for helpin'." Beth said, "Sorry 'bout him grabbin' your hair."

"Ain't nothin'." Daryl said, "I'll see ya tomorrow."

Beth nodded, seeing him out the door. For the first time in over a month, Caleb had gone to sleep without a fuss. She was grateful for that.

The next night, Beth and Daryl showed up at Rick and Lori's house, with Caleb in tow. Rick opened the door and smiled wide, motioning for them to come in.

"Didn't think it'd be both of you." Rick said, "Thought you had to work, Daryl?"

"Took off early." Daryl replied. Carl and Judith came running down the stairs, both yelling loudly for Daryl and Beth.

"Daryl! Daryl! Aunt Beth!" Carl said, "Can me and Judith take Caleb to go play in the living room?"

"Sure." Beth replied, setting Caleb down. Judith and Carl took each of his hands as he toddled along next to them, giggling and smiling and chattering away.

Beth thought it was funny, how quickly Caleb was growing and changing. It seemed like just yesterday that he was crawling for the first time, and taking his first wobbly steps. He'd started walking just a few weeks before Shane's death, and Beth was so grateful that he'd been able to see it. Though he wouldn't see Caleb grow, or learn to ride a bike, or start kindergarten, or graduate high school, or get married, he did get to see Caleb come into the world. He was with him when he started crawling, and when he said his first word, and when he began to walk. He saw his first birthday, and Beth was happy for all of that. Still, when she saw the dark-haired boy clap his hands at Judith, and laugh at something Carl did, it broke her heart. Shane wouldn't get to see any of that.

"So, Beth, Maggie and Glenn are coming, aren't they?" Lori asked.

"You know Maggie," Beth laughed, "She'll be late to her own funeral."

"The day Maggie Rhee is on time is the day the apocalypse starts." Rick said, "But we told her half an hour ago so they'd show up on time."

"Glenn'll rush 'er out the door." Daryl said, "That guy usually shows up to work five minutes 'fore I do, and I show up before Dale does."

"Glenn has a thing about being on time." Beth said, "I brought a pie."

"You didn't have to do that!" Lori said, "But I do love your pies."

The knock on the door—which they knew was Maggie and Glenn—caught their attention. Rick yelled for Glenn and Maggie to come in. Caleb heard the commotion, and came running—muttering incoherently as hellos were exchanged.

"There's my big, happy boy!" Maggie exclaimed, running toward him.

"Aggie!" Caleb squealed, arms outstretched. Beth observed that out of Caleb's limited vocabulary, Maggie's name was one of the few things he could speak. It was a recent happening, which both thrilled Beth and made her sad. Caleb was growing up without his father. Caleb hadn't said "Dada". He knew "Mama" and "Aggie" and "Dog" and "No" and "Up", but he didn't know "Dada", and for some reason, that bothered Beth.

"So, you and Glenn said you had some news?" Lori asked. Beth took Caleb from Maggie and set him back down, Maggie sipping some of her sweet tea.

"Well, y'all know that house over in Woodbury we were lookin' at? We put in an offer and it was accepted. We bought a house!" Maggie exclaimed. Though Beth was excited for her sister, she did feel a pang of sadness. Woodbury was twenty minutes away, and that meant that Maggie and Glenn would be driving a lot just to watch Caleb.

"I'm so proud of you, Maggie!" Beth exclaimed, hugging her sister. She saw Daryl and Rick shake Glenn's hand, and Lori hugged them both.

"Yep, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a big back yard. Caleb will have so much room to play there." Maggie said.

For some reason, that phrase made Beth's skin crawl. She felt guilty. She should have a backyard for Caleb to play in. Though Beth knew the thought was ridiculous, she felt Maggie and Glenn shouldn't have to think about having a yard for Caleb to play.

"You okay?" Daryl asked, handing Beth a glass of sweet tea.

"Uh, yeah." Beth lied, "I'm fine."

The rest of the dinner, Beth was quiet. She was mulling over Maggie and Glenn's new life change, and she felt even worse for relying on them to watch Caleb. She knew they'd tell her they didn't mind, that they loved Caleb and that they loved having them, but it didn't make Beth feel any better. She was drowning, and she was overwhelmed, even though she was trying her best. It wasn't enough.

Beth and Daryl left early that night, saying that Beth had to work the next night and needed rest, and Daryl used the argument that he rode with her. Caleb was already tired anyways, which made a good excuse. Once they were back at Beth's apartment and she'd gotten Caleb to sleep, Daryl finally asked her again.

"You okay?"

"No." Beth admitted, "I hate relyin' on everyone else. Maggie and Glenn are movin' out to Woodbury, and they're gonna be all the way out there. I hate them comin' here just to watch Caleb. It should be his daddy. And his daddy ain't here."

"They really don't mind, Beth." Daryl said.

"I hate having to ask. I'm in over my head, Daryl." Beth replied.

"What if I watched 'im? I could keep him a couple of nights, and Maggie an' Glenn could do one. I'm right across the hall. He's just sleepin'. How hard could it be?" Daryl asked.

Beth was taken back. Why would he offer? He barely knew her, though they'd become friendly. Did he have an ulterior motive? Was he secretly a creep?

"I couldn't ask you to do that, Daryl." Beth said.

"I'm offerin'. You ain't gotta be worryin'. Wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it." Daryl said.

Beth thought it over for a moment.

"What would I owe you?" Beth asked.

"Don't owe me nothin', Beth. I'd be watching 'im while he was asleep. Maybe changin' a diaper or two. Least I could do, 'specially for Shane." Daryl replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Shane was always lookin' out for me. His Grandma Jean lived next door to my folks when I was comin' up. Shane an' Rick took me in. Shane always kept me outta trouble. I would've been locked up like my brother or cookin' meth somewhere if it weren't for them." Daryl explained.

"The trial starts in three weeks, you know. For the guy who killed him." Beth said, so suddenly that it caught Daryl by surprise, "I want you there. You need to be. We need this guy to go away for a long time."

"Then I'll be there." Daryl promised, "You work tomorrow night, right?"

"I do." Beth said.

"Then I'll come by tomorrow night. I'll keep Caleb. It'll be fine. Things go bad, I'll call you." Daryl said.

"It's nice to have a friend, you know. All this time, I've felt like people were feelin' sorry for me. I don't need people to pity me. It's not gonna bring Shane back. I just need people to be my friend. Thanks for that, Daryl." Beth said.

"Ain't nothin'." Daryl shrugged.

Daryl left shortly after, and Beth was again alone in the quiet living room. She grabbed her photo album from the coffee table—for the first time in several months—and flipped through it. She saw the first photo—of her and Shane on their third date, when they became "official", and for the first time in months, she didn't cry. She flipped to the set of pictures they'd taken on the Fourth of July at her parent's farm; Beth pausing at her favorite one: Shane carrying her on his shoulders, with Beth waving sparklers in her hands. She remembered that moment all too well.

" _Shane, I think I'm gonna burn my hands! Don't drop me!" Beth exclaimed, watching the sun set as she held two sparklers in each hand._

" _Oh, darlin' come on! Have some faith in ol' Shane!" He'd replied._

" _How do I know I won't go tumblin' backwards?" Beth asked saucily._

" _Well, that's simple, see. I love you, an' I can't go droppin' the girl I love, can I?" He asked._

" _Guess not." Beth said, still in shock, "I love you too, Shane Walsh."_

Beth turned the page and saw the pictures Maggie had taken of them in Savannah on the Riverwalk when Shane had proposed, and then later that night at Beth's birthday dinner. Beth flashing her ring and smiling, while Shane kissed her cheek. Beth remembered that night, too, and it was one of the best of her life.

" _We'd like a dessert, too." Shane said, addressing the waitress, "This young lady here agreed to marry me, and I feel like celebratin'."_

" _Certainly!" The waitress said, "On the house! Congratulations!"_

" _It's her birthday, too!" Glenn said, smiling as Beth swatted him, "Twenty years old!"_

" _Glenn! Hush!" Beth said, "It's not a big deal."_

" _Of course it is." Shane said matter-of-factly, "I'm marryin' the greatest girl in the whole world, and that's something to eat cake over."_

Beth turned to the pictures of their honeymoon at Gulf Shores. She laughed hard when she saw the picture of her and Shane, her frowning as Shane poked fun at her awful sunburn. Beth could picture him waving around the sunscreen on the beach that morning, and she remembered how she'd told him she wouldn't burn. Oh, how she regretted that. But then, Beth had a realization as she looked at the picture: it was the farthest she'd gotten in the photo album since Shane had passed.

It no longer hurt to see pictures of their happiest times. It no longer hurt to remember all the times Shane picked at her, or kissed her, or made her laugh. She was healing. It was taking a while, but she was.

The next night, Beth was preparing to go to work at six-thirty, and true to his word, Daryl showed up. He took Caleb from Beth, and listened to her instructions on bedtime, his food schedule, diapers, and how to soothe him. After nearly fifteen minutes, Daryl had told her he'd be fine, and that Caleb would be okay, too.

"You're gonna be late, Beth." Daryl teased. Beth walked out the door, grabbing her purse and her hospital badge, and turned back, sticking her head in the apartment and getting Daryl's attention.

"That little boy is my world, Daryl Dixon. If anything—and I do mean anything—happens to him, I will not hesitate to beat you to death with a baseball bat. You got me?"

"Loud and clear, ma'am." Daryl said, smirking slightly. Beth left for work and her whole shift, she worried. She worried about Caleb, about Daryl, and if she'd made a wise decision. On her break, she went to the cafeteria and checked her phone, noting a text from Daryl. She opened it and saw a picture with a message attached. It was a picture of Caleb sleeping in his bed, with the message, _been out cold since 8:00. Little man is doing just fine._ Beth smiled, brighter than she had in a while, seeing the picture of her son. She was nervous, yes, and she worried, yes, but in that moment, she knew that things—for now—would be okay.

Daryl Dixon was a good man, and more importantly, he was a good friend. And that thought, for some reason, made Beth's heart hurt a little less.


End file.
